Once Upon A Time
by Angel Of Azarath
Summary: Raven's a Princess that's been locked in a tower since she was 10. Robin is the lucky Prince chosen to go and save her, along with some of her old friends. Will things end happily ever after? Or will things not go according to plan?


**Authors Note: Hey, another story. First of all, happy belated RobRae week. I've loved all the one shots over the days from Tumblr, some were so cute...This came to me in a dream in February and is a mix with Shrek at the beginning of it so I'm sure it will be okay. It's going to be a long one shot but I don't think anyone has written something like this before so yeah. There's a little bit of Star bashing but considering this is an AU most characters are OOC. R&R please. **

**I'm going to focus on writing chapter 12 of When Darkness Strikes after this is finished. Oh and for those who actually read Family Rivals I am so sorry but I just lost all sense of a plot. I had plans for the next chapter but I had no idea how to write it out so it made sense. If anyone wants to adopt it, the three chapters I wrote I still have (The sentimentality of it being my second publishable story) just pm me and we can sort it out. One last thing, I really want a BETA so if you have time can you please tell me? Thanks. Anyway, here we go.**

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**Disclaimer: Okay, these usually aren't my thing but I'm just gonna put it, I don't own Teen Titans, any of the characters, Lose Control, Lost In Paradise or A Whole New World. They belong to DC, Evanescence and Disney respectively. All I own is the plot. Anything in italics are song lyrics.**

* * *

Once upon a time there was a kingdom far, far, far away. The kingdom's name was Azarath and it was ruled by a lovely King and Queen. King Trigon and Queen Arella were greatly respected by all and ruled the land very well. A few years after their marriage the Queen began to get sick and after inspection it was found the the Queen was pregnant. Joy was spread through the land at the news and everyone was working hard in celebration of the birth. The King and Queen were elated at the fact they would have an heir to the throne and they knew that they could help their child to become the same kind and fair ruler that they are.

The child was born in the cold winter months, and it was a shock to the kingdom when she was born. She had very pale grey skin, deep purple hair and her eyes were violet. Because of her unnatural appearance, the Queen decided to name her Raven. The King ensured that she was fine but as she grew up it became apparent that not all was as well as they would like to have been. When she was left alone in a room the surrounding light seemed to vanish and shadows began to appear from nowhere. She was always surrounded with darkness, but seemed completely at ease with it, unlike many of the other children in the kingdom. She grew up with her head always in a book, and it seemed apparent that she was going to become a very wise ruler. She had many friends around the kingdom but her best friends were Gar the stable boy, Victor the armorer, Tara the gardener and her cousin, Kori. Her cousin, on her mothers side, was a show off. She was always running around, showing everyone anything that she had been given. People thought she was quite charming so they put up with it, but after the Princess was born people didn't have time for her anymore. Kori became jealous and snuck off to the dark forest, on the border of the land. There she knew, lived Jinx, a 'witch' who would curse people for you if you had the money. She requested that a curse to be put on the Princess so that at night, she would become a terrible monster that would kill on sight. Jinx, knowing that the King would know she was responsable, changed the curse slightly so that at night the Princess would gain four crimson eyes and have a hostile nature. She cursed her so that on her 10th birthday it would begin and for every night after that until true loves kiss.

The first night the transformation happened, there was a panic spread through the castle. The Princess who was confused and scared accidentally sent a wave of darkness over all of the castle. It was then they discovered that her ability to control the darkness and shadows was based on emotions. The Queen knew that the kingdom would call their daughter a witch if they found out, so in order to protect her they sent her to a tower guarded by an evil dragon called Malchior. No one in the kingdom was informed but it saddened them to see their ruler in such mourning. Jinx was not surprised when the King's best men were sent for her the next day. She was hung at dawn on Friday the thirteenth day of February.

In a nearby kingdom called Gotham, the King had heard of Azarath's trauma. He felt sorry for the royal family and knew how he would feel if he lost his son. His son, Richard, was around the same age as the missing Princess and the two were meant to have met but due to the Queen disappearing the kingdom had been a hectic mess. King Bruce made sure that he was free and took a journey to Azarath with his son to give his condolences. When they arrived they noticed that the kingdom was silent and sad, even the children seemed sad, except one. Only Kori remained happy but she was confused as to why she didn't get any attention anymore and more often then not people shouted at her. She was walking around one of the smaller villages when King Bruce rode through. She was used to royalty passing by so she didn't pay attention until she say a smaller horse, with Prince Richard riding it. She liked the look of this Prince so she followed him to the castle.

That evening there was a small feast in honour of the lost Princess. All of the best food was served and all the Lords and Ladies were invited. After all the food had been enjoyed the King and Queen decided to tell them all that the Princess was in a tower, so she was safe. The told them that she had been cursed so she was there for her safety. It was also said that no one could go and save her until her 16th birthday. Then a tournament would be held and the winner would go and rescue her. Bruce was shocked to hear this, he knew that Trigon and Arella loved their daughter so he didn't understand why they would send her away. Surely it would be safer to keep her here?

After the meal was over Bruce stayed behind, telling his son to go to the palace gardens, to take a small break. After a small argument Richard went off, muttering as he did. He made his way to the stables and sat down next to a sleeping horse. His mind travelled back to the Princess. He tried to image how she must have felt, being sent away on your own having to wait for who knows how long until someone comes to rescue you. He was lost in thought when someone walked in on him.

"Hey um dude? You do know this is for horses don't you?" Richard looked up to see a small elfish boy stood in front of him. He had light blonde hair, bright green eyes and a fang that protruded from his mouth. Richard stood up groggily.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about the missing Princess and..." Richard stopped as a sob escaped the boys throat. The boy collapsed onto his knees and his tears fell freely. Richard had never had many friends, he had had his older brother but a strange jester came to the kingdom calling himself the Joker and Jason had disappeared soon after with no evident signs that he was going to be returning. He had absolutely no idea what to do but some instincts that was usually buried deep down within him told him to help this poor boy. He walked over and put his arm around him awkwardly.

"Look I'm sure she's fine. In six years people will go and save her and she'll find her true love and then she'll come back. What's your name?"

"Garfield sir, but everyone call me Beast Boy because I look after the animals."

"Look Gar, if it makes you feel better I'll train up and in six years when people can go to rescue her; you, me and any of her other friends can go on a rescue mission."

"Really? You need to promise sir, you need to promise that you can help us get her back. It isn't the same anymore. Tara and Victor are never happy, you know. I just want her back." Richard rubbed his back gently.

"I promise. In six years I'll travel from Gotham, we can ride over to wherever the Princess is and we can rescue her." Gar wiped a tear from his eye and smiled. That was the beginning of a brand new friendship.

* * *

**6 Years Later**

After six long years of training, the day had finally come. The Princesses 16th birthday rolled around. Richard rode through Azarath on his horse, observing every detail. It hadn't seemed to change much since he last visited but he didn't still didn't recognise anyone. His father rode behind him as a guest of the royal family to observe the tournament. **  
**

The six years of extensive training had changed Richard. He was stronger then before and his stamina had increased greatly. He was the strongest of the knights in all of Gotham but was still a kind person that would help people out of the pure and innocent goodness of his heart. True to his word though as soon as he arrived in Azarath, he sought out Gar.

When the tournament came round it was left to two competitors; Prince Richard and Sir Wilson. It was a tiring match but eventually it ended in favour of Richard. There was a grand feast in order to prepare him for his journey and he was given a map leading to the tower that held the Princess.

After the feast, and true to his word Richard went to Gar and was introduced to Tara, Victor and Kori (Who only tagged along so she looked caring for her 'long lost best friend' in front of Richard). After preparing for their quest they set out north with all the kingdom in joyful hope except for Sir Wilson who was still bitter about losing a competition to a 'mere child'.

* * *

**1 Hour Later**

"Dude, how long will this take. We've been travelling for years already. I mean the Princess is one of my best friends. It why did they have to send her to a tower that's days away from the kingdom? I miss all the animals, and I need the bathroom!" Beast Boy shouted, as he saddled up his horse after getting off again. He had spent the whole hour complaining and had only shut up to have a snack of the 'most delicious food in the kingdom' (Well according to him anyway) of tofu. The simple gesture had then brought up and argument between Victor (Now under the nickname of Cyborg because of his ability to make anything out of metals.) and Beast Boy about whether meat of tofu was better. Tara smiled apologetically at Richard.

"I'm so sorry about them. They do this every day so you might want to get used to it." The screaming match continued before turning in a shoving competition. Cyborg and Beast Boy stopped walking, completely focused on their fight. Cyborg gave one hard push, sending Beast Boy directly into Tara. She fell onto the floor, directly into a patch of mud. Both Beast Boy and Cyborg stopped their fight at once, looked each other in the eye and gulped simultaneously. Tara stood up slowly as her eyes slowly began to glow a bright yellow. The two boys started backing away but found that they could not. They turned to see a giant wall made from dirt surrounding them, leaving to Tara's fury. Richard and Kori watched curious, as he saw the mud slowly rise off of Tara and join together to create a huge mud ball. Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, her eyes still glowing, she lifted her hand towards them, and the mud all obeyed. It was sent crashing into their faces. Richard bit his tongue in an attempt not to laugh but their faces was too hard to resist. This trip just got very interesting.

* * *

**5 Hours Later**

"Terra let us go!" Beast boy tried to struggle out of his earth built prison but to no avail.

"Yeah girl, we've learnt out lesson. Just let us go!" Cyborg shouted.

"No. You both know not to get me angry and yet you still do so you need to pay. You can stay in there until I wake up and Garfield Logan if you throw something at me as soon as I fall asleep, so help me you won't live to see Raven again. Now shut up and go to sleep."

After Terra had covered the boys in mud she ripped up some of the grassy lands next to her and wrapped it snugly around the boys. It was dark by then so she, Richard and Kori agreed to leave them for so they would learn.

* * *

**The Next Morning**

Terra snuggled into her sleeping bag and groaned as sunlight pierced into the welcoming darkness of sleep. She tried to pull the sleeping bag up further but found that she could not. It was then her hearing cleared up and the shouting set it. People were shouting her name over and over, it was giving her a headache. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked rapidly for several seconds in an attempt to get used to the bright sunlight that seemed directly in front of her. She pulled herself up onto her knees and took in her surroundings. There was Richard and Kori, cooking something over a fire and there was two mounds of dirt with Cyborg and Beast Boys heads sticking out. Sighing, she fisted her had and lifted it up. She then opened it and watched as the dirt crumbled away from the bodies and they both jumped up, both glad that they were finally free. They all walked over to see that Richard was frying eggs on a stone. They smiled at each other, bidded each other a good morning but sat in silence.

"How much further do we have to travel?" Cyborg asked. Sure he liked Beast boy but large doses don't do well with his brain.

"We're about five hours away, on horseback. I want to get there before sun set, that dragon won't be easy to defeat and I want to get all our stuff ready and a plan too."

"Dude can we have a team name? Like something to shout as a motto or something." It was a good idea and would be easier then having to shout individual names.

""How about the Titans?" Terra suggested.

"Sounds a bit evil, what about Teen Titans?" Everyone smiled at Richard. Beast Boy grinned.

"Sweet idea Robin!" Richard looked at him confused.

"Huh? Beast Boy my name's Richard."

"Yeah but everyone else has a nickname, Well expect Kori. So I'm calling you Robin and Kori you can be...Star! Cause you always show off and act like a superstar." Kori glared at him. He gulped and slowly made his way to hide behind Cyborg.

"Can we get going? I wanna see Raven again." Terra moaned, pushing Cyborg forward slightly before panting heavily.

"Yeah let's go. I want to meet Raven, she sounds...interesting." Robin said smiling. Beast Boy wiggled his eyebrows.

"Dude! You haven't even met her and you have a crush on her!" Robin hit him over the back of his head quickly while Terra and Cyborg struggled to contain their laughter. They survived for about a minute before looking at the grin on Robin's face and bursting out laughing. Maybe they could get used to being on a team.

* * *

**The Next Day**

The next morning they woke up and sat around a fire when Robin pointed something out.

"Guys, where's Star?" They all looked around but there was no trace of her anywhere and they didn't have enough food or clothes to stay some more days in order to search for her. They packed up and followed the map for another day.

"Alright guys we're nearly there!" They had been walking all day after eating breakfast the day before, with only five hours sleep in between. After climbing up a mountain, they came to see a giant castle. It was beautiful from afar, and over the years it was still in perfect condition. It was made of stone, but there was a few stained glass windows of God and Lucifer visible. The only issue is that it was surrounded by a giant lake of lava with only a small, ropey bridge to get over.

"Dude! How do we get over there? You can't expect us to walk over that!" Beast Boy waved his hands over his head as if to emphasize his point. Robin sighed and walked over to Cyborg and whispered something into his ear. After listening to what he had to say, Cyborg grinned and walked over to Beast Boy, who was now looking nervously at the tall psychopath that was in front of him. Cyborg put his arm around Beast Boy, pulling him into a hug. Beast Boy stiffened and fell as Cyborg jabbed a bunch of nerves on his neck. Cyborg grabbed his and threw him over his shoulder grinning.

"We ready now?" Both Terra and Robin shook their head violently, afraid that if they didn't they would come to the same fate as their small friend. Terra was the first to get over the bridge, with a little help from what earth she could find in the rocky ground before and after the bridge. Robin was soon to follow, and soon they both watched as Cyborg walked over, Beast Boy hanging dangerously close to the edge of the bridge. At one point he nearly slipped off but thankfully he didn't.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

Inside the castle, Malchior was watching the entrance to the tower, as he had been for six years and every night for the first two years he listened as the Princess screamed and cried herself to sleep. He longed to comfort the girl but his humanity had been stolen many years ago by a young sorceress that he had crossed named Rorek and even with his knowledge in both pure and dark magic he had never heard of a spell to changes ones DNA and he wouldn't know how to either. He wasn't completely sure how long he had been like this but he could remember the day the Princess arrived. He had never seen so many humans in front of him, and quite frankly his hunger got the better of him. Not many people survived but the scent of the girl stopped his from consuming her. She smelt different, more evil then a human but not fully evil. He had paid very close attention to her, and considering no one was allowed to come and find her, he found it very easy.

He was just lying there as usual when suddenly he hears a small shout, not too far away from the castle. He got up and from his position in the castles courtyard he listened for any signs of intruders. It was common knowledge that it was the Princesses birthdays not that many days ago but he did not expect that people would try and save her so soon and from the crying he had heard on her birthday, neither did she.

"Dudes quiet or the dragon will hear you." He snorted in amusement, that was the loudest shout yet. Apparently the other being that had arrived with the voice agreed with him as they hushed him, not loudly but enough for Malchior to hear it. He growled slightly as he probed the intruders minds to find out that there was _three_ men there instead of only one, as he had hoped. The idea of eating cooked human came to mind and he licked his sharp teeth. His stomach rumbled, sounding more like an avalanche which made him think. How long had it been since he had eaten fresh food? He couldn't remember. Usually some unlucky person was forced to bring his food, but temptation stole his common sense and he ended up eating them so recently no one had applied for that particular job.

Stretching out his four limbs and tail, he waited for the unfortunate people to simply walk into his domain, and then he would feast.

* * *

**Back With The Titans**

They were finally stood inside the castle, after managing to shut Beast Boy up of course. Walking on tiptoes they walked in through the giant gate. After making sure to look around every cornered they were all satisfied that the dragon was either asleep or hadn't heard them. Walking further in, they soon saw the tower but only Robin was surprised at its appearance.

The tower was black. From the first stone slabs to the very top it was surrounded in darkness. Through the arched window you could make out a candle, which was the only source of light emitting from anywhere in the castle. As they walked closer, Beast Boy tripped over a branch, or so he had thought. On further examination it turned out that it was a persons leg, that had just began to rot away.

"Dude! That's just plain nasty. The sooner we leave here the better!" Cyborg exclaimed. They passed through that particular area and the environment suddenly seemed much more pleasant. They came across a large garden, with huge plants growing everywhere. It reminded Richard of the rain forests that he used to read about, where are the animals roamed free, and there was no monarchy. They stood in wonder, not noticing that the light was slowly fading as darkness swept around their feet like water.

Richard leaned forward to get a closer look at one of the plant. When the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Something was wrong. He looked down to see darkness from his knees under. He alerted the others and they soon left the enormous greenhouse, again missing the small ravens that had appeared seemingly from nowhere.

* * *

**Up In The Tower**

Raven sat staring out of her window once again. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she watched Malchior turn towards the entrance and exit of the castle. She knew that he wouldn't hurt her if she went down out of the tower, but it would be the second time today and she didn't want to see Ivy again. Ivy, or Poison Ivy as she liked to be called, tended to the castles garden and the animals. She was in charge of looking after Raven, and she had almost become a second mother to her. However, like any family they fell out quite a lot, and today was one of those days. She wasn't sure why they had started arguing, but she didn't want to see Ivy, or anyone else for that matter until she could calm herself down. That was a good thing about being alone in the middle of nowhere. Her powers could do anything and she didn't have to fear that anyone would get hurt. Sure, Ivy might have to repot a plant every so often but it was never anything major.

_Just once in my life,_

_I think it'd be nice,_

_Just to lose control, just once,_

_With all the pretty flowers in the dust._

She wiped away the few remaining tears and went over to her broken mirror to check her face. Sometimes her powers lashed out at her and she gained some scratches. The years without much sunlight had taken their toll on her skin, it was now a slightly pale grey and she was a lot thinner then she should be. Brushing her now long hair a few times, she went back over to her window and watched as the sun began to set, meaning another day had gone by where she would become a terrifying monster.

* * *

**The Next Morning With The Titans**

"Dude. Dude wake up. Wake up!" Beast Boy shouted in Cyborgs ear, waking up everyone else in the process. Stretching and yawning, they sat up and then remembered where they were and what they had to do today unless they didn't want to wake up tomorrow. After coming up with a plan Robin, with his trusty sword in hand, made his way to the front of the castle to try and find the others, all with different weapons except Terra went off to find the Malchior.

Locating the stairs was the easy thing to do, but the main question on Robin's mind was how to get up to them. There was a large gap between the floor and the first step, it seemed like the steps at the beginning had been burned away. Checking his bag, he found that he was in luck. Finding a length of rope, he found a good place to anchor it and quickly climbed up and made his way up the stairs. He heard Malchior roar very faintly and guessed he had some time before he made his way back over to the tower.

Climbing up the stairs, he felt the atmosphere change the higher he got. It seemed darker, heavier. As he got the the top of the stairs he could hear something very faintly. It sounded like singing but it wasn't something recent. He recognised it as one of the songs his mother used to sing to him before he went to bed back when he was younger, and happier.

_"I've been believing in something so distant_

_As if I was human_

_And I've been denying this feeling of hopelessness_

_In me, in me_

_All the promises I made_

_Just to let you down_

_You believed in me, but I'm broken_

_I have nothing left_

_And all I feel is this cruel wanting_

_We've been falling for all this time_

_And now I'm lost in paradise_

_As much as I'd like the past not to exist_

_It still does_

_And as much as I'd like to feel like I belong here_

_I'm just as scared as you_

_I have nothing left_

_And all I feel is this cruel wanting_

_We've been falling for all this time_

_And now I'm lost in paradise._

_Run away, run away_

_One day we won't feel this pain anymore._

_Take it all away_

_Shadows of you_

_Cause they won't let me go_

_Until I have nothing left_

_And all I feel is this cruel wanting_

_We've been falling for all this time_

_And now I'm lost in paradise_

_Alone, and lost in paradise"_

The song reminded him of a better time. When his mother loved him, and she was still there. As Raven finished the last note, he lifted his hand and placed it on the door handle. He twisted the knob and slowly edged open the door so he could look in. She was stood over by the window, presumably looking for Malchior. He opened the door wider and knocked on it, surprising her and sending him crashing backwards. He wobbled on the top step and nearly fell before he felt darkness wash over him and help to balance him out.

Staring wide-eyed, he looked at the Princess wearily. She looked at him uncertainly, obviously in shock. The darkness receded until all that remains was a small black flame floating just above her palm. It began to flicker slightly before extinguishing completely As she closed her palm. She looked him in the eye then turned and walked back over to the window. He walked into the room and once his eyes had adjusted to the darkness he admired all the intricate designs on the walls. He followed her to the window and put his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off almost immediately, her attention on the sight before her. He side stepped and saw that apparently Malchior had lost the Titans, meaning he was back in front of the tower.

"How did you get past him?" Raven said, in a state of shock. Even if people were not meant to try and save her, anyone who arrived was eaten on sight by Malchior. How this strange boy had gotten past after so many had failed, she wasn't sure.

"Some of your friends came with me. They distracted him while I snuck in."

"Does that mean Tara, Gar and Vic are here too?" She turned to face him, hope shining in her eyes. He smiled slightly and nodded. She quickly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, not caring that she didn't even know him. He went rigid for a second before slowly relaxing into the embrace and wrapping his arms around her. It must have been awful, stuck on her own for six years. Hearing a roar they jumped apart and looked back outside, both blushing slightly. From their view they could see that the Titans had once again found Malchior and begun fighting him.

"We better go. They'll need our help." Was all Robin said before turning on his heel and walking out. He stopped for a second and smiled as he heard Ravens footsteps on the stone flooring. Taking one last look at the room she had been trapped in for six years, she left eagerly, wondering what the outside world was like.

* * *

**With Malchior**

As much as he hated to admit it, Malchior was having trouble dealing with the ignorant pests that wouldn't leave him alone. He had several rather deep cuts into his tail that wouldn't stop bleeding, and the amount of stones that had torn some of his skin seemed incredible. It amazed him that there was still people with terrakinesis roaming the earth. He thought that the group had been killed off hundreds of years ago but apparently they were very good at laying low.

He roared as another boulder hit him in this face, dangerously near one of his eyes. Deciding that he had had enough, he swiped out and sent Terra flying into a wall. Turning to the other two he used his tail to hit the other two. Preparing for another snack, he began to made his way over to the unconscious teenagers but found that he no longer could. Looking down, the darkness that had appeared from nowhere trapped him where he was. Growling he struggled as the force increased and moved up so that from the neck down he was stuck. Turning his head he saw Raven, with another pest. He roared but knew that he would have to submit. He was warned what would happen to him if he was to harm in the Princess in any way.

He grunted but stopped struggling. Smirking, she finally freed him and her and Robin watched as he walked off. They smiled in victory but a small moan brought them back to the situation at hand. They rushed over to their friends, and after Raven healed them they all shared a group hug. After they had let go, Raven hugged Terra. Somehow their friendship had grown over the six years apart and Raven had realised just how much she had taken her life for granted before being inprisoned. All of them were smiling for different reasons as they left the castle, never to return.

* * *

**When They Had Finally Returned**

To say that the King and Queen were surprised by a guard running into the throne room to tell them that the Princess had returned was a terrible understatement. In fact both of them had began running to the veranda where she was to be reunited with their long lost daughter once again, only slowing down when they got to the glass doors.

They walked out quite slowly so as not to startle her but the moment they stepped out she turned to face them. After arriving at the castle, Raven was decked out in a whole new outfit as her old one had several rips on the long sleeves from her outbursts. She was wearing a dark purple ball gown that had a pale purple silk ribbon tied rather loosely around her waist. She looked beautiful in it, but the King was worried when he realised just how thin she had become. The three embraced as the Queen shed several tears of happiness. Chuckling at his wife, the King turned to Raven.

"My daughter, you have returned. We shall feast tomorrow on your arrival and then you shall choose a husband." Raven was shocked at her fathers forwardness at first but the six years in near isolation played with her psychologically and sometimes she had a tendency to forget that she was indeed 16 and legible to marry someone of royal background. It would have to be someone that her father knew and trusted and would be her age.

"Be patient dear, she has only just arrived. Don't force something like this on her just yet." Her mother said, seeing the look of panic flash through her daughters eyes. They hugged once more before hearing a small cough from behind them. Turning they say Robin stood there rather awkwardly. The King let his daughter go to see how she reacted as the Queen smiled encouragingly at her daughter. Robin outstretched his hand expectantly. Shyly, she slowly reached out and took his hand as someone with 'good' intentions watched the ongoing scene.

* * *

**Outside The Palace**

"So do you want to tell me where we're going then?" He smirked as Raven wrapped her arms around his waist so as not to fall off his horse. After much thought on what he would want to do if he was in her place he decided that leaving the kingdom would do her good and get her out of the attention, which he noticed fairly quickly that she was not comfortable in.

"Where would the fun in his outing be if I just told you where we was going straight away." He laughed as she hit him on the back quickly before grabbing him again.

_I can show you the world  
Shining, shimmering, splendid  
Tell me, princess, now when did  
You last let your heart decide?_

_I can open your eyes  
Take you wonder by wonder  
Over, sideways and under  
On a magic carpet ride_

_A whole new world  
A new fantastic point of view  
No one to tell us no or where to go  
Or say we're only dreaming_

Ten minutes after, the kingdom was finally out of sight. It was a relief for both of them to not be in the spotlight and to be somewhere where they could stay undisturbed. They had been talking about what had happened on the journey to save her. Raven had started using the nicknames after they had returned.

"Wait. So you're saying that BB and Cy accidentally got Terra covered in mud and she trapped them under loads of soil." He nodded. She laughed as she imagined their faces when she lost control. After meeting Terra one day when she was younger they had become inseparable. They both had powers and bonded rather quickly. Raven felt that Terra was her sister and vice versa. Both had seen the other lose control of their powers and to the others amusement, it always seemed directed at Beast Boy or Cyborg, although it wasn't uncommon that it wasn't both of them.

"They wouldn't shut up. It was really hard for me and Star to get to sleep even if Terra dropped off like a light." At Stars name Raven drooped slightly. Debating whever to pursue the matter he decided to let it drop for now, she didn't need his persistent questioning. She got that enough when she walked through the palace gates. He put his hand on hers as a gesture of comfort but she pulled it away as soon as he tried.

"It's getting late. We shouldn't be here. I said that I would be back before sunset." She stood up abruptly, and quickly walked over to his horse. Confused, he stood up and made his way to the horse and after he got on and had helped her on they made their way back to the kingdom, both lost in thought.

* * *

**The Next Day**

The next day, the news was heard that King Bruce was visiting Azarath once again. Even though he had only been gone for a few days the King had informed him about the idea of Robin taking Ravens hand in marriage and naturally he wanted to hear more about his sons possible wedding and he wanted to meet the girl that his son had saved.

Though neither were very good at portraying emotions, they embraced as soon as Bruce arrived. Robin then introduced him to all of his new friends with pride in his voice at the fact they all spoke of him highly. Raven was the last to be introduced but as per request of Trigon, Bruce did not mention the idea of an arranged marriage. On a first impression he found that she was rather quiet and subdued but after a few hours in her company he agreed with her family that she would become a very wise ruler. He enjoyed that he would be able to speak to her about some controversial subjects and she could reply maturely unlike most of the other females that other Kings had tried to arrange a marriage with his son.

After a few hours Raven left in order to go to the library to meet Terra, leaving Bruce on his own until his son arrived.

"So what do you think of her?" Was the first thing Robin said to his father. If Bruce didn't like Raven then all his ideas of a happy ever after would be ruined. Much to his surprise, Bruce chuckled.

"I like her. She's a very wise girl but she has a large heart. She will make a fine Queen." Robin let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"I'm glad you think that, father."

"I understand that she is to be married into another kingdom soon." Robins face fell as the words left Bruce's mouth. He knew that she was legible for marriage but he expected that Trigon would wait at least a few months before trying to arrange his daughters marriage _without her knowledge_.

"What?! What do you mean?"

* * *

**With Raven and Terra**

Raven and Terra had decided to talk a walk through the gardens and fix anything that needed tending to so that they could spend time together in the market the next day.

"So, what happened with Robin?" Terra stopped and turned to face Raven as she asked the question that had been resting on her conscious all day.

"What do you mean?" Terra smirked slightly as a nearby plant pot exploded when Ravens powers sent out several small shock waves.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Terra's face wavered slightly "You've been avoiding Robin as much as you could all day. I mean, you was with his father before but the moment you've seen him you disappear into the shadows. Anything you want to talk about?"

"No I'm fine. Just let it go." Terra smirked and elbowed Raven lightly in her arm.

"I see what's going on here."

"What do you mean? Nothing's going on here."

_If there's a prize for rotten judgement_

_**[Meg:]** I guess I've already won that_

_No man is worth the aggravation_

_That's ancient history, been there, done that!_

_**[Muses:]** Who'd'ya think you're kiddin'_

_He's the Earth and heaven to you_

_Try to keep it hidden_

_Honey, we can see right through you_

_Girl, ya can't conceal it_

_We know how ya feel and_

_Who you're thinking of_

"You like him, don't you? Terra laughed as a panicked look took over Raven's face. She took a small step back, as if in shock before regaining her previous position.

"What?! What gives you that idea?"

"It's ok to like him, it's completely natural." Terra put her arm around Raven when she realised how close to tears she was.

"This isn't meant to happen! I need to control my emotions, falling in love wasn't part of the plan!" Raven lowered herself to her knees as her tears fell freely. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she tried to control her emotions before any major damage could be dealt.

"Hey, it's ok. It's natural to fall in love, you don't want to be alone forever do you?"

"People fear me Terra, **fear me**. I'm a teenager, I'm meant to worry if I'll get married, but I have to worry about my emotions getting the better of me and I worry about people being **afraid** of me!"

"No Raven, they're not afraid of you. They're afraid of the power that your powers give you. They want to stay in their nïeve little bubble and they worry that your powers will disrupt that. They don't fear you." Terra rubbed Ravens back soothingly until she calmed down.

"Thanks Terra. I owe you one." Raven smiled as she wiped away the remaining tears on her face.

"Let's face it Rae. You owe me millions." Both girls laughed. Terra stood up, but then her face paled. "Raven. You need to get inside. The suns going down!" Both girls ran inside, dodging as many people as they could and ignoring the evil glares off some of the maids. They made it and Ravens door was locked just as the sun went down.

* * *

**The Next Day**

"Lady Raven, you have been summoned to the throne room by the King." Raven groaned and turned over as she tried to block the light that was penetrating the darkness of her room. Her power over the shadows was useful but in direct sunlight they couldn't form properly, leaving her exposed to extremely blind lights.

"Give me five more minutes." She suppressed a yawn, and then groaned as her duvet was pulled off her, presumable by the maid.

"Now your highness. The King says that it is of great importance that you go _now_." Sighing, Raven slowly opened her eyes so that they would grow accustomed to the light quickly and she could get up before the maid did something over dramatic like pour water over her head. After a few minutes of struggling, Raven was dressed in an elegant black ball room gown that had long sleeves and several layers. Walking through the castle, she began to admire the roof with all it's unusual engravings until she saw one that wasn't like the rest. It was like an 'S' mixed with a '5' and was a deep red on the light blue roof. After memorising it for future reference she quickly made her way to the throne room.

"Daughter, you join us at last." The King joked as she curtseyed before them. He smiled at her manners. "You may rise. I have called you today to discuss your marriage arrangements." Taking his daughters silence as confirmation to what he said he continued. "According to King Bruce, his son has asked for your hand. Your marriage will be in a week so all the preparations can be arranged. After the wedding you will be moving to a nearby kingdom called Jump. It has all been decided. You shall marry under our lord Scath, but will then transfer over to Prince Richards after the ceremony has taken place."

"Who is Scath father? You have never mentioned him before, and I did not practice religion in the tower I resided in for six years." She spat the last few words out as if they were poison. Trigon sneered.

"I will thank you to keep a lighter tone when speaking about our Lord. Scath is the leader of our religion. You were not informed when you are younger because of some...sacrifices which were in order for you to be eligible to marry under his name." Raven was about to say something but was cut off when the Queen suddenly walked into the room, King Bruce walking in soon after.

"Ah you finally arrived. As you know, this is King Bruce," Raven rolled her eyes. Her mother always did like to state the obvious. "I am also aware that you are friends with his son. You are by now I am sure, aware that he has asked for your hand in marriage. You will marry him in a month, then shall never return to this kingdom." At this everyones jaw dropped. The Queen kept a straight face for a second before a smile appeared and she burst out laughing. "Your faces. Oh my gosh..." She wiped a tear from her eye. "Sweetheart I'm only joking, you can return whenever you would like to. But your wedding has been arranged. He will have to find out about your...night issues before hand." At this Raven looked down. She had gone over six years with only five people knowing the depths of her curse, obviously now that her mother had brought it up King Bruce would have to know and then Robin who would tell all of her friends. Gossip travels very quickly in a kingdom, could she really take the risk of **everyone** finding out about her curse? Even if it was only for a week more? She shook the thoughts out of her head.

"I'm not telling him." Was all she said.

"Not telling me what?" Raven froze as she heard Robin's voice. She turned to face him and was shocked to see his face consorted in anger. She took a step back but stopped when the Queen moved to stand behind her, forcing her forward again.

"You've been ignoring me all day. What's up with you?" He took a step forward but stopped when her eyes widened. He watched her carefully but his eyes quickly darted to the ground which was becoming darker by the second. When it was completely black Raven slowly began to sink into the darkness until she was gone completely. He was shocked but from the disappointed faces on the Queen and the King it wasn't an uncommon occurrence or an unexpected one.

"Sorry about that Richard. I suppose that we're going to be explaining since my daughter dearest has vanished to the library." Richard watched as Trigon dragged over some chairs and gestured for both him and Bruce to sit down.

"Ever since Raven was born she's had...powers. She has the ability to control the darkness and the shadows. When she was ten, a local witch was paid to curse her so that after sunset she would become hostile and prone to violence. That's why we had to send her away. We didn't know how far she would go but she nearly killed one of the maids in her condition. It wasn't safe and we couldn't risk her becoming a murderer. The witch was killed but we never found out who paid for the Princess to be cursed."

"The curse was until true love's first kiss, and since you were the first if you kiss her we was hoping that some of the curse would go away. But if it doesn't...well you're going to spend the night with her tonight to see if you can control her." At this both Robin and Bruce stared in shock. Arella was basically saying that she wanted to risk Robins life for an experiment.

"Of course there will be guards standing by should they be needed but there's an old saying 'We spend our lives looking for someone who's demons play well with ours' so let's test it shall we?" Trigon said, sealing Robins fate.

* * *

**That Night**

Robin walked up to Ravens chamber nervously. All of the castles staff watched in awe as two of the larger guards stood behind him. Trigon had said that it was for protection but from the way they stood so close to him, Robin thought that it was so he didn't have second thoughts and run away. When they got to the door he head a scream and it looked like both of the guards were too terrified to even open the door. He lifted his hand to turn the handle but jumped back when the door shook. The guards quickly pulled the door open and threw him in. He heard a locking noise and realised that if Raven couldn't control herself he would be dead before dawn.

The room was dark but in one if the corners he could see two glowing crimson eyes staring at him. He walked a step closer but stopped as the creature, he reminded himself that this creature was actually Raven, hissed much like an animal. It seemed lime she was sat down but then the eyes rose up slightly and started coming closer. He took a few steps back but when the eyes vanished he was forced to walk into the middle of the room just to get a bit of light. He had just finished walking when Raven pushed him onto the floor. He fell with a loud thud and he could hear the guards shout if everything was ok. Raven growled and they quickly fell silent.

The eyes suddenly appeared about five feet in front of him and slowly sank down to his level and watched him almost curiously.

"Raven, it's me Robin. Don't you remember?" The eyes tilted to the side slightly. He sighed and pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. Raven closed her eyes, but he could hear her breathing a bit clearer and had. Good idea where about she was in the room.

"You didn't run." The voice came out almost as if she was being strangled. She didn't usually speak in this state, more growled and hissed, so the voice was quite rough.

"I didn't really get the choice." He replied quickly. She had heard the lock click but the room wasn't exactly small so he could have run somewhere else. Not that he would have got there alive. The curse had some bonus parts; advanced speed and strength being some of them. She was very familiar with the guards stood outside, they were the only ones strong and brave enough to pull her off that idiotic maid that shouldn't have been in the room in the first place.

"You need to leave." Was all she said as the worst part of the transformation began. This part got rid of the rational side of her brain, effectively turning her into a wild animal that couldn't be tamed. Her arms fell to her side and the newly grown claws slowly forced holes into the expensive carpet. She hissed loudly as pain coursed through her back as it became easier to walk on four legs and harder on two. She lifted her head and using her now acute hence of smell, found that in the kitchen the chefs were preparing a large hog, turning it slowly on a spit. her stomach growled and reminded her how she hadn't rated in this state ever. Another scent became known, the scent of fear, turning her attention to the other being in the room with her. She grinned and slowly moved back, preparing to pounce.

Richard had owned a pet dog before so he knew that this was the kind of behaviour to look out for. He slowly lowered his legs in front of him. He watched as she closed her eyes and felt himself panic slightly. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths then reopened his eyes...to be faced for four glowing crimson ones right in front of him. He lifted his palm slightly and looked down, looking directly into the eyes can provoke attacks. His palm reached her face and he slowly rubbed his thumb over her cheek. She closed her eyes and it sounded like she started purring. He slowly and cautiously pulled her into a hug but winced when one of the claws sank into his leg. The claws slowly retracted and her head was lying on his shoulder. She was purring contently and after a few minutes she had fallen asleep.

Smiling, he picked her up bridal style and carried her over to her bed. Laying her down carefully, he gently pushed back a loose strand of hair. Grabbing the blanket the King had given him, he fell asleep by the side of her bed, content and happy.

* * *

**The Next Day**

"So you slept in the same room as my daughter and lived to tell the tale." Trigon chuckled. Raven turned away, blushing, while Robin looked down at the floor. The way he spoke about his daughter...he made it seem like they weren't related at all. She was just another bargaining chip that Trigon could use to control another kingdom.

"How badly injured are you? I noticed that you limped very slightly as you walked in." The Queen cut in. Robins mind drifted back to the events of last night. Yes his leg hurt, but the knowledge that the demon, the monster, that Raven becomes actually let him live was enough to put him in a good mood, probably for the rest of his life.

"My leg's fine. I'm just glad I'm in one piece your majesty." The King and Queen laughed but Raven slowly began walking to the back of the room. She put her hand on the door, opened it then walked out, slamming it as she did. They stopped laughing and looking at Robin.

"Go to her. She won't remember much from last night but she feels guilty about what her monster form does to people. She'll be in the library. You are dismissed." The King lifted his hand and made shooing gestures at Robin who bowed slightly before running to the library.

When he got there he found Raven curled up in the black velvet armchair reading her favourite book. Although she was a bit of a pessimist her favourite book was 'Beauty and the Beast'. She thought of herself as the Beast and ever since she was cursed hoped that she would find her Belle one day.

"You ok?" She tore her eyes away from the page to Robins worried gaze. She smiled slightly, _of course _her parents wouldn't come after her. She might as well not exist to them.

"Fine." She carried on reading until she became vaguely aware of the fact he was reading over her shoulder. Using her powers she levitated the other copy of the book over, whacking him over the head with it for good measure. "If you're going to read it, at least get your own copy." He smiled at her then sat in the red velvet armchair that was facing the black one. They sat their in peace for several hours. When they were finally called for dinner they both agreed to meet there every day for the rest of the week.

* * *

**The Day Of The Wedding: With Terra And Raven**

"It's almost time." Terra said to Raven, smiling. Raven quickly smoothed down her dress and checked her make up once more before Turing to face Terra and returned her smile with one of her own.

"You know Terra, I really appreciate everything that you've done for me in the last few months. I don't think that I could have managed without you."

"That's what friends are for isn't it?" She paused and checked her pocket watch. "Come on the coach will be here any minute." The two women left the room and made their way outside.

* * *

**With The Boys: At The Church**

"Dude chill. She isn't gonna disappear if she isn't stood right next to you." Beast Boy frowned slightly as he watched Robin carry on pacing. There wouldn't be any Isle left for Raven to walk down if he carried on. Both he and Cyborg knew that the lovebirds were attached but he knew for a fact that Raven wouldn't be in the same state as Robin was.

"What if something's wrong though? Didn't the King say that he would tell us when they had set off?" From the moment he had woken up Robin had been in a state of panic. He still felt like all of this was a dream and he would wake up alone in his room in Gotham.

"Yo man chill. She'll be here in about half an hour, you kiss and then you leave never to return." Cyborg grinned.

"Gee thanks Cy, that makes me feel so much better." That all laughed but stopped at the sound of horses. A few minutes later King Bruce walked in. After about ten minutes everyone of the guests and about half of the kingdom of Azarath had taken their seats in the church. There was a general chatter from the crowd until someone shouted that the Princess had finally arrived. Everyone turned, wanting to see her dress first. When she walked in, everyone's heart stopped.

It was a rather elegant dress; a creamish colour as the body with a dark blue sash around her waist. It had thin straps going over her shoulders that were mostly covered by the veil, the body part had three butterflies positioned like they were flying up to her left shoulder (Each one was elaborately decorated to look like a _Pontia Daplidice) _and when she moved it seemed like they were fluttering their wings. The King stood next to her with Terra as her only bridesmaid. The band struck up, playing Wedding March, as she slowly made her way down to the alter. Hundreds of thoughts were going through her head but the one that stuck out the most was: _Don't lose control_.

When they arrived at the alter the King pushed his daughter forward slightly, then moved away so that Robin could remove her veil. He smiled at her when it was off. Terra had curled her hair so it fell into neat purple ringlets, she had minimum make up on so she didn't look like a clown; just some mascara and a pale lip gloss. The priest began his sermon but neither Robin or Raven were actually listening. They were too busy staring at each other or the decor of the church to notice. They finally got to the vows and both repeated them beautifully.

"You may now kiss the bride." Finally the sermon was over and they could kiss. They both leaned forward until their lips brushed against each other. Their hand found each other and the both smiled into the kiss. Everyone cheered as the pulled away and Raven swore that some people were wiping tears from their eyes. She looked around before she had a feeling of weightlessness. She began slowly rising from the ground a light beams shot from every inch of her skin that was showing. She slowly landed back down, which caused Robin, Bruce and her parents to smile. The curse had been broken. The Kings and the Queen began to tell people that they could leave. The newly weds watched as everyone slowly made their way outside for the photos. She turned to face her new husband and smiled as he watched everyone leave. Once the church was gone he finally faced her again. He reached for her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. They walked out of the church together, smiling.

After the photos the two lovebirds got into their new carriage and set off to Jump where everyone hoped that the would live happily ever after.

* * *

Aww happy ending. This is the longest single thing I have wrote, and it took me **2 months **to write this and edit it. Remember, if you want to motivate me to actually write something worthwhile please apply to be my BETA. I'm fun sometimes...


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